"Money you say…"
Sampo whispered to himself as he tapped the bottom of his chin. The smile he wore eventually turned serious and he looked at Yuuto to ask one vital question.
A question that was very important to him.
"How much are we talking…?"
His eyes turned sharp as he waited for Yuuto's expression to change and watched as he continued to smile silently.
"Catch." Yuuto didn't say anything else and gave Sampo a small phone containing his estimations.
Sampo gracefully took it and skimmed past the initial details written within the phone. Portions containing data, trends, and even some small projects that he wanted to use.
All of it was present within the document making Sampo surprised to see such a detailed report from him.
'Reconstruction… expansion towards the Universal Marketplace…creating value…'
Sampo could feel the drool pouring out of his mouth and the sounds of coins clashing in his mind he briefly imagined himself swimming in a sea of gold. However, he snapped out of it when he felt a pair of eyes intently watching him.
He let out a small cough trying to regain himself as he looked deeply into the document Yuuto gave. Not forgetting to wipe the corner of his mouth.
'Control yourself, Mr. Koski! You are a seasoned salesman! No sum of cash can truly move you!'
Trying to control his expression, he churned his mind on the implications of the offer Yuuto was willing to give him and the amount of value this sort of thing had.
"So what do you think?"
After waiting for a few minutes, Yuuto broke the silence and tried to probe for Sampo's expression. Seeing as he showed a reaction when he first read the document, Yuuto was certain that he was at least interested in his offer.
"You my friend have certainly given me quite a pleasant surprise showing me something like this~"
"Of course. I was sure you would find an offer such as this very tempting."
"Very much so!"
The two chuckled at the same time which seemed harmless but the glint in their eyes made anyone who would have seen them shiver in fright.
"But I may need to take some time to think as some parts look very troublesome to me."
"Is that so…"
"Yes! Some of the projects look a bit difficult and poor lil' me may have some troubles…"
Sampo curled his finger to show a sorrowful expression as he talked about the difficulty his offer had. Of course, that was only if he had some 'support' to motivate him.
Since doing this from scratch was a bit of a hurdle.
Yuuto continued to look at his act before lifting five of his fingers. Catching the attention of Sampo who was curious at what he was doing.
"5,000,000."
"Huh?"
"5,000,000 credits as a budget to use for—"
"DEAL!!!"
"....."
Hearing Sampo raise his voice and stare at him as if he were a piece of priceless treasure, Yuuto began to look a bit apprehensive.
He suddenly felt a pair of hands grab his shoulder and saw how Sampo's eyes seemed to resemble dollar signs.
Of course that was only his imagination.
"I thought you said that this was going to be difficult on your own?" Yuuto looked skeptical after hearing his sudden agreement.
Sampo collected himself and rubbed his hands together. "I do.. However! Just for you my friend, I am willing to put myself into dire times just so I can provide you with the skills Mr. Sampo Koski is best known for!!
"Hmm… I suddenly feel like I should ask someone else…"
Yuuto mumbled to himself which Sampo managed to catch.
"N-No need to worry! As I received some… motivation.. I mean the generous budget, I am willing to bet that you will have no issues managing certain projects."
"I don't know…" Yuuto closed his eyes, still looking a bit skeptical. "Who knows what you could use this hard-earned budget I painstakingly tried to gather…"
Sampo began to feel the coins slipping through his fingers and the sea of gold that he imagined started to slowly fade away.
A bit of cold sweat grew as he noticed Yuuto's growing disinterest, so he rubbed his hands together trying to say a few words.
"Ho ho, I can always draft a contract if you so wish. It will definitely show the sincerity I want to show."
"You'll sign a contract?"
"Yes!"
"Great!" Yuuto's face suddenly shifted and a single piece of paper instantly appeared in his hand. "Sign here–"
Sampo's hands stopped and his smile slightly broke as he saw Yuuto offer him a paper and pen with an expression vastly different from his previous one.
He read the paper and his face hardened as he noticed a portion that stated his salary and an additional task that was specifically tailored for him.
"M-My dear friend…" A small tremor began to appear in his voice. "My salary and job description seem a bit off to me…."
"No need to worry. You will gain a pretty big bonus if you do it pretty nicely."
"....."
Sampo didn't know what to say as he just watched Yuuto look at him with a silent smile.
"B-But the effort I am willing to…."
"I'm willing to turn a blind eye to the money you effortlessly made without me knowing."
"Huh? What do you mean…?"
Yuuto didn't say anything else and waved his finger around. A thin sheet of ice began to materialize in front of him and a few images started to appear on its smooth surface.
Sampo looked closely and he eventually saw the scenery of a broken-down forest with a few buildings on the verge of crumbling.
And within those buildings showed Sampo holding a small camera-like device.
[Hehe~ Those guys will surely pay a fortune for these!]
The Sampo on the image began to smile as he snapped a few videos of a large glowing mecha punching the sky. Breaking apart countless lances that began to rain down on the tall mountain it was on.
Yuuto felt like he got his point around and shattered the thin sheet of ice and waited for Sampo's next actions.
"Ahem… that certainly is a surprise.."
Sampo cleared his throat and awkwardly averted his eyes when he saw Yuuto continue to silently smile at him.
"It doesn't have to be much but I value quality over quantity."
"Hmm…"
He digested Yuuto's words as he scanned the contents of the contract Yuuto drafted and stared at one certain point
[Information Gathering]
Yes, compared to the other projects Yuuto wanted to do with the assistance of Sampo. Information was one he greatly desired.
This could range from simple rumors regarding the different factions within the universe to news that may have the potential to affect him and the people around him.
'My knowledge about the future could only take me so far…'
Yuuto thought about his knowledge that contained the majority of the events leading up to the end of the Xianzhou Luofu.
Thankfully to the library in his mind, he can remember everything that occurred when playing through the game. Even if he just briefly glanced at certain parts.
So far it had assisted him greatly but after the Luofu was unknown territory to him.
And being one who liked to plan, not knowing what he'd be going into was something he didn't like. Especially considering the potential variable he was when going to each planet.
'I saved Cocolia so who knows what kind of butterfly effect this sort of thing brings. There's also the Stellaron I managed to 'kill' which is certainly something I don't recall happening in the game ever…'
Yuuto thought about the potential powers that would instantly go looking for him if they found out what he had done.
A cold shiver went down his spine at the thought and he clenched his fist.
'One step at a time… '
He instantly calmed down and his eyes shimmered a deep white hue. Reflecting the calmness and unknown thoughts brewing within him.
Silence continued to grow between the two of them and Sampo finally lowered the contract. His face showed his signature expression but a sharp glint shone within the corner of his eyes.
"Looking more into this, this seems more like a partnership rather than just a simple one-time deal~"
"Any issues with that?"
"No, no! Just people tend to avoid even associating with me due to the way I make my 'profits'."
Sampo seemed like he was talking to himself but Yuuto could clearly feel like he was watching his every move.
Yuuto ignored his gaze and shrugged his shoulders. "If you work well then it doesn't matter to me. Just don't get caught and drag me into your mess."
"Ho~ Don't need to worry about that. I am a master in this sort of craft."
"Of course you are." Yuuto rolled his eyes at his boasting before putting on a calm expression. "I'm sure you're not a fool to do something like that anyway, right?"
"Hmm– I guess you can say that~...."
Sampo looked at Yuuto deeply after hearing his words and an unknown grin gradually formed on his face.
"May I just request one thing before I sign this?"
"Go ahead." Yuuto gestured to go as he was curious about what he wanted to request.
For a moment, Sampo was quiet as he thought of something. "Just once... If I request assistance I would like you to help me with no questions asked."
"That seems a bit ominous." Yuuto was a bit surprised at the serious request as he noticed Sampo didn't seem to be joking at the moment.
Seeing that this was one he had to consider seriously, he didn't make his decision hastily and mused on the instances this sort of request would be used.
"I will agree only if I know what type of request it is beforehand."
"Ehh, that defeats the purpose of doing it with no questions asked."
Yuuto shrugged as he noticed Sampo clicking his tongue. "I have my own thoughts on certain things."
Sampo seemed to notice that Yuuto didn't want to budge on his stance and he hummed to himself. After a few seconds, his serious atmosphere quickly changed and he wore his usual expression.
"I guess that's good enough for me. I'm sure you would gladly accept anyway ~"
Taking the pen and gliding its tip across the paper given to him by Yuuto, Sampo wrote his signature.
The ink released by the pen instantly dried up once it touched the paper and after he removed the tip of the pen away, the two felt a flutter in their hearts.
"You must have some serious connections to get a contract that binds on the Law of the Imaginary."
"You know about this?"
"Of course. You may not know but contracts such as these are very powerful that many organizations use them as a precaution."
Sampo chuckled and watched as the paper slowly dissolved in the air and looked at Yuuto with more interest than before.
Yuuto agreed as he thought back to when he first offered to join Herta in researching more about his crystal. Some concepts she wanted to use tied to the Simulated Universe so she needed a precaution that he wouldn't leak some information.
He was a bit surprised at the concept of binding to a law that was above social and natural laws within the universe.
So he asked her if he could get one for personal use. After a few haggling sessions and ten other boxes of his crystals later, he managed to nab one for himself.
Noticing the fluttering settle down within his heart, he summoned three objects and placed them in a box for Sampo to use.
"Test the reactions of potential consumers for these three objects."
"Wow! These are some exquisite-looking merchandise."
Sampo whistled as he looked at the box holding three types of jewelry. A bracelet, necklace, and earrings. All made out of a bright white crystal that he was familiar with.
"To a fruitful cooperation."
Yuuto offered his hand to Sampo who grinned and took the outstretched hand of his new partner.
"To a bountiful new partnership~!!"
***
"Mommy look! There's a lot of guards in front of the statue!"
"Yes, let's hurry up and find a spot so that we can listen to the speech Lady Bronya has."
On a day where the sky is without clouds or any types of obstructions. The center of Belobog was bustling with excitement as countless citizens from both the Overworld and Underworld gathered to listen to the words of a certain woman.
[Citizens of Belobog, I kindly ask for your attention! Lady Bronya Rand's inaugural address will begin shortly. Please remain orderly!]
After sending out the message, Bronya calmly walked on stage as she looked at the citizens ready to hear her every word.
"People of Belobog — hear me! Today we gather here to celebrate our victory…"
Her confident and powerful voice echoed to the crowd gradually filling up and her demeanor managed to capture the hearts of all the people watching.
"She seems to have quite the talent in capturing the heart of the masses."
Near a table that was quite a bit away from the venue, Yuuto whispered as he sipped on a blue drink that March managed to find on her journey marching through the district.
"This thing is pretty good…"
"Right! I was surprised that I didn't get to try this on our first day here."
March instantly agreed with Yuuto as she placed her palm on her cheek. The sweetness it had was a bit different from what she usually tried but regardless, it was quite a treat for her after the whole journey they managed to complete on this planet.
"When will we be leaving?" On the opposite side from Yuuto was Stelle who also had a drink similar to the two.
"In 2 system hours."
"That pretty fast…"
Dan Heng who sat beside her didn't take his eyes off the book after answering. But he remembered something and looked at Yuuto who was relaxing.
"Are you done treating the previous Supreme Guardian? Himeko said that we could request additional time."
"Don't worry." Yuuto waved his hand telling him that it was fine. "Her condition is not as severe as I expected. Maybe a few weeks and she'll recover to a steady state."
"If you say so…" Dan Heng nodded but paused as he wanted to ask something else but didn't have the right way to put it.
"Where did you get such expensive-looking glasses?"
Luckily for him, Stelle seemed to have the same thoughts as he did and looked at Yuuto oddly.
"Ah, these things? Just think of it as a gift from someone ready to make some money."
"You look like a debt collector."
Yuuto raised a portion of his glasses to look at Stelle who sipped on her glass and smirked at her.
"Speaking of debts, I remember needing to collect one after a certain person took advantage of a certain situation…"
"Cough Cough!"
Stelle felt a shiver down her spine after hearing his words and awkwardly turned her gaze away.
"I-I wonder who would do such a thing…"
"Same here…"
March and Dan Heng looked a bit confused seeing how the two were acting and saw how Yuuto flicked his finger forward.
"That should be good…."
Yuuto mumbled and leaned back into his chair before grabbing his drink and humming to himself in a happy tone.
Stelle looked surprised to see Yuuto suddenly stopped and wondered what he was planning.
'Once we get back I need to get Himeko's protection or else…—AH!? Why the hell is this so spicy!?'
Stelle suddenly stood up as she felt like her mouth was on fire and felt the need to drink something.
"Ah~ The sky sure is beautiful!"
""......""
March and Dan Heng felt the corner of their mouthd twitch as they felt like their quiet little table suddenly turned quite noisy. March specifically looked at Stelle in pity and turned her eyes away.
Yuuto who had a small smile on his lips, looked up at the blue sky and closed his eyes. Feeling the small wind caress his face as he whispered something in the air.
"Goodbye for now. You guys rest well…"
Mumbling this, a small fragment within Yuuto shook before stopping. It was unknown who or what his words were for but it contained a sort of warmth that was hard to refuse.
A few hours went by and in a familiar-looking cabin, four people appeared.
"Welcome home you four."
Himeko warmly smiled as she greeted the group. Welt stood beside her and also greeted them as they came in.
"Team Trailblaze back from duty! Mission accomplished!"
"It was certainly a hard-earned victory considering it was the first mission the four of you took together. Hopefully, Welt and I can experience something similar to what you guys did in the future."
"I don't know if I want to do something like that again…"
Stelle shook her head as she recalled the space she was trapped in and prayed that something like that never happened again.
Yuuto silently agreed with her but seeing the benefits he gained from it, he was on the edge.
"Everyone, get some deserved rest. Jarilo-VI certainly wasn't an easy ride."
"Yeah, I'm feeling a bit tired…"
Welt said while March agreed after letting out a long yawn. The others also agreed and immediately dispersed to go to their rooms after saying goodbye to each other.
"Yuuto do you mind staying back a bit."
"Hmm?"
As he was about to leave, Yuuto heard Himeko call out to him and noticed how she was looking at him with a deep stare. Welt was similar and offered him a seat at the table by the window.
He somewhat expected this to happen and followed them to the table. There was a brief moment of silence before Himeko poured a cup of coffee for him and asked him a question.
"Do you have an idea as to why the Stellaron turned the way it did?"
***
Within a small space where countless barrels were located, a person holding an object can be seen hiding it under its wooden lid.
"Hehe…It was surely a surprise suddenly hearing from him~ I wonder what I should make him do for this favor!"
Sweet tiny giggles echoed from the lady and her mouth contorted into a small arc.
"Maybe I should ask him about that person who managed to cut me off… HMPH! Suddenly doing that to such a cute lady is certainly rude!"
Her mood suddenly turned sour as she recalled a certain event but it completely flipped after thinking about the image she last saw before it cut off.
"He looks like fun~!"
***
Anyone trying ZZZ? I might skip it since I have too many gacha games to handle at the moment.